Running in a Winter Wonderland: December Runs

[indysteel]

My thread title is a bit ironic given that we're experiencing near record highs here in Indiana! I wonder if we're in for another nonexistent winter.

I ran roughly 4 miles yesterday and roughly 5 miles today. I'm still trying to set up my new Garmin, so my distances aren't exact.

[skhill]

Same here in KY! I celebrated the first day of December with a nice little 5 miles. Started off wearing a hat and mittens and 2 shirts, one short sleeved and the other long. By the end of the first mile the hat was off. By the end of the second, the mittens were off. By the end of the third, the long sleeved shirt was off. And I was considering stripping down to just the bra by the time I got home. It felt a lot warmer than 50F!

[Tri Girl]

Same in OK. It's crazy! Although I'm not really a fan of bitterly cold winters, these warm temps are just not right, and I don't like it one bit.
I actually enjoy getting bundled up in 4 layers and running with gloves and cute hats and coming home with frozen butt cheeks.
Alas, my 7.5 mile run today was in the 70's and I was wearing sleeveless. Sigh...

I just ordered some Hoka One One's because I'm really having a hard time finding a trail shoe that doesn't cause me knee issues. I have a few ultrarunner friends who wear them (and there are plenty of the top ultrarunners who wear them), so I'm willing to give them a try. Bad news is they are $170. What the what???
I found a pair online for $120, I hope they work.

[Crankin]

I walked/ran 2.5 miles yesterday, disappointed that it was still too wet for me to ride, although it was about 48 when I finished my run. I took my headband off about half way through, but other than that, I was actually dressed correctly. I really want to run more, but my knees are a bit achy, which I think, is from the hundreds of squats and other torturous things I am doing in boot camp.

[skhill]

It was 58F and humid at 6am today!! I dressed for the weather, not the calendar, this time; shorts and short sleeves and bare head. Did about 5.5 miles at an 8:35 pace. With all this speed lately, I'd like to get in one more race this year, but it doesn't look like it'll happen. My December Saturdays are pretty full. Oh well. There's the Jan 1 5 miler to look forward to...

[GLC1968]

I did do some running during this event, so I'm counting it here.

Sunday night, I did the Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon in Las Vegas. I had to walk it since I was only cleared to run a few weeks ago, but boy...walking a half SUCKS. I was with two wonderful friends who kept me company despite my need to actually walk slower than a normal person. After the half-way point, I couldn't take the walking anymore and we started adding in run intervals. We started with run 1 min, walk 9 but the run interval was too short. So we went to 2/8 and then I felt like the walk interval was too long. So we settled on 3/3 for the remainder of the race until the last 1/3 mile or so where we just ran to the finish. Ran is a relative term of course, as my pace was closer the walk pace of my longer-legged friend!

When asked if I was glad that I did it, all I could muster was a 'I'm glad that it's done". I can say with all honesty that I'll never do that again. If I can't run a 1/2 marathon for some reason, then I'll just skip it. Walking for that long was rough!

The good news is that I feel amazingly good today (about 40 hours later) considering how awful I felt at the finish line! My legs are only pleasantly tight and my calves are a bit achy. My injured/recovered foot is sore, but not unbearably so...and I'm looking forward to getting back into run shape again.

[Crankin]

Icy this morning, so I did 30 min on the treadmill. Did run walk intervals, with some hill walking intervals thrown in for fun.
I missed going to boot camp but I am glad I have the TM at home for days like this.

[skhill]

2nd day in a row on the treadmill for me. Yesterday was raining, today extremely windy, so off to the gym. They are in the midst of replacing all the cardio equipment, so right now there are just some treadmills and elipticals set up in the multi-purpose room. I've been doing my treadmill time staring at a concrete block wall... But tomorrow the new stuff is supposed to be up and running. Hopefully I'll be running outside, though! Don't much like the look of the new treadmills; they are very hi-tech looking, and you're supposed to be able to surf the web and watch your very own video screen. But all I want is a simple display with accurate distance and time and pace (both current and average), and easy to use controls... Oh well. I'm withholding final judgement until I use one a few times. Problem is that at the gym they think everyone is there to work out or exercise; I'm just there to run. That's fun/ sport/ spiritual discipline, not exercise, as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, today's 4 miles were in 32:36, an 8:09 pace! My current treadmill goal is to get to 4 miles averaging a sub-8 minute pace, should be entirely doable...

[indysteel]

Great pace, skhill!

I have a question for those that run on treadmills: I recently read a few articles on the differences between treadmill and outdoor running that suggest running on a treadmill at a 1% incline to better replicate outdoor running (assuming a flat course). Do any of you do that?

[Tri Girl]

Great pace, skhill!

I have a question for those that run on treadmills: I recently read a few articles on the differences between treadmill and outdoor running that suggest running on a treadmill at a 1% incline to better replicate outdoor running (assuming a flat course). Do any of you do that?

Our treadmill stays at 1% when we run. Sometimes I put it at 2%. I have read the same things and believe it's probably true.

[skhill]

I've found that varying the incline helps keep my mechanics together. If I do a couple treadmill runs on the flat, the first time I'm back outside my stride is kinda goofy...

With the nasty storm engulfing much of the middle of the US, it was treadmill time again today. I'm not crazy about the new machines, but I'm giving them a chance. The deck feels good at least, even if there's a lot to go through to get the data I want up on the screen. Not talking anything fancy, but it took some doing to get pace up on the screen. It was my (treadmill) standard 4 miles, today in 33:15. The weather's looking to be every bit as bad tomorrow morning...